Rail-joint connector.



FOWHN. RAN. JOINT CONNECR. Avmcmmra mw my io. 1918.

7/////ff/ Y THEODORE POWLIN, 0F WEST MARTINSBRG, YORK.

RAIL-JOINT CONNECTOR Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented @ein 29, Militia Application filed May 10, 1918. Serial No. 233,637.

To all whomJ it may concern: f

Be it known that I, THno'DoRE PoWLIN, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, resident of West Martinsburg, county 'of Lewis, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joint Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in connecting ends of rails, as' used upon steam and street railroads.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means whereby the abutting ends of the rails may be held positively together land prevented from separating.

A further object is to provide a device for connectingr the abutting ends of rails without the use of bolts, plates or other engagingr means, it being,r merely necessary to insert the securing element and move the rails into close contact..

A still further object is to provide means whereby the connecting elements may Ibe readily withdrawn and the rails separated when desired.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure l is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a pair of abutting rails, partly broken away in order 'to show the construction.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on line 2-2 ot Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 3-3 cti/Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a `fragmentary sectional View,

showing,y the end of an abutting" rail, prior to the insertion 'of the engaging elements, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showingf the main connecting' element in detail.

The rails used are of the usual rolled type of construction, consistinga of a head 14, central stem or web 15, and base tlange 1G.

These rails are extendedl laterally upon both sides of their webs, adjacent to their ends, to a thickness slightly less than the head 14, of the rail and formed in the thickened extensions 18 are central rectangularv openings 20, so that the openings in adjacent rails register.

Secured in these openings upon one side thereof, by the rivets 21, are the ends of reoutward through the' thickened portion of 1 the rail end.

The connecting element comprises a rigid bar 80, reduced toward its ends 31, and formed With hook catches 32, upon opposite sides adapted to engage with the extremities 23 of the spring detents, the faces oi? the catches 32 being slightly beveled so the correspondingends of the spring detent may readily engage therein.

In operation, the dctents 22, having` been secured in the ends of the rails, in the inanner shown, the bar 30 is entered within one of' the openings, and the adjacent rail` is passed over the opposite extending end. As the rails are brought together, so as to forni a close joint between their abutting ends, the ends 23 of the detents engage the hook catches 82, holding the bar rigidly in position and maintaining' the abutting ends of the rail against separation.

When it is desired to release the rails, the outstanding` end 25 of the rod set in the spring detent is drawn outward by the insertion of a bar or like object, retracting the detents from engagement with the bar, permitting the rails to be separated in an obvious manner.

From the foregoing' it will be seen that an extremely quick and secure fastening means has been described.

Having' thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,v is- In a rail joint, the combination with a pair of abutting rails having` central longi tudinal recesses extendingr inward from the ends thereof, a bar adapted to enter .the mentionedopenings.v and opposed sprintr detents fixed in the openings, said detents beingI adapted to engage with the ends or said bar, whereby it is heldin position and the rails held against separation.-

2.( In a railjoint connection, the combination with a pair ot running' rails having enlarged stems at their ends and containingr longitudinal openings which extend inward from the ends thereof, a pair of spring detents, one of said detente being; secured in each of the mentioned openings and extending rearwardly therein, a bar having hooked ends adapted to engage with said detents, said bar being suited 'to the mentionedopenings, and means to retract said detents whereby said bar may be released.

3. In a rail joint connection, the combination with a pair of running rails having' thickened stems adjacent to the ends thereof, recesses extendingr in from the ends of said rails in said thiekeneifl portions, i'esilient detents secured within said openings, said detents extending rearwardly and pressing' toward the opposite side of the opening in which theyare secured, a bar adapted to enter said openings, means formed with said bar adapted to Contact With said spring detents,whereb`y the ralls are held 1n operative position, and means en said detents extending outwardly through said rails by which THEGDORE POWLIN. 

